“I’m fine. I think the pink will be an improvement on those old leather se?—”
“Don’t even finish that sentence. I spent a decent amount of time scrubbing those clean, so no, I don’t think it will be an improvement. Just shut up and follow me.”
Emery’s eyes go wide, and she opens her mouth before quickly clamping it shut. Apparently, she responds to authority…which is good to know.
I don’t give her any more room to speak before spinning on my heel and taking the stairwell that leads up to my apartment. A satisfied smile cracks on my face when I hear the sound of footsteps behind me.
I don’t stop until we get to the bathroom, which conveniently houses my washer and dryer. Emery steps inside the small space, making my skin hum to life. Tight areas and my self-restraint are not a good combo.
“I’m not showering here,” she says, finally breaking the silence.
I ignore her and grab a fresh towel and a washcloth out of the cabinet. The thought of this woman being naked in my house without me is devastating, but here I am making sacrifices.
“It’s not a big deal, Bambi,” I lie, letting out a restrained breath. I set her towels on the bathroom counter and walk over to the washer. I grab the end of my paint-soaked shirt and pull it over my head before tossing it into the appliance. “You can throw your clothes in here, and I’ll find something for you to wear when you’re done showering.”
I could totally wait until later to wash my clothes, but I’ma glutton for punishment, and I like it when I can feel her eyes on me. She’s getting sloppy at covering up her staring, and that makes the tension in my body tighten to an unhealthy point that I’ll need to relieve later. I decide to take things a step further for my own enjoyment and a measure of curiosity by reaching for my belt.
“W-what are you doing?” she asks, trying to school her voice into a neutral tone, but I hear each and every deviation.
“I’m throwing my clothes in the washer,” I say in a matter-of-fact tone. “Is that okay, Bambi?”
“Uhh, y-yes,” Emery says with a shaky voice. I like it when she gets flustered. It gives me hope even when it’s not mine to take.
“Okay then,” I reply, dropping my jeans to my ankles and tossing them in with my shirt. I hear her breath hitch, and I’m no longer in control of my friend to the south. Hopefully, my black briefs cover up my excitement.
“Here,” I say, grabbing a clean pair of sweats and a T-shirt out of the dryer. “You can wear these when you’re done.”
When I hand them to Emery, her face is a mixture of emotions. The whites around her pupils are in full display and her lips can’t quite settle between a frown and a straight line. All I know is I’ve caught her off guard, and if it weren’t for the fact that I can barely keep my hands off her, I’d be proud of myself.
And on that note, I decide I’ve had enough and go to leave to give her some privacy, but then a timid voice stops me.
“Why didn’t you kiss me?” Emery asks, making my entire body freeze.
I tilt my head to the side, releasing a tight crack before fully facing her again. “What?” I ask, pretending to be ignorant.
“Don’t play dumb, Knox. Downstairs, you were about to kiss me, and then a switch flipped, and you pulled away. Why?”
“Did you want me to kiss you?” I ask, crossing my arms smugly.
Her throat contracts and she shifts her weight. “I don’t know, okay,” Emery answers, blinking hard. “One second, I want to strangle you and the next…well, the next, I—” She stops mid-sentence, forcing her lips into a straight line. “This would be much easier if you put some clothes on.”
“You what, Emery?” I ask, ignoring her pleas. I take a step forward.
She licks the bottom of her lip, telling me everything before she dares to say the words out loud. And then those electric green eyes connect with mine, sending a zap of static into the air.
“I want you,” she admits as her shoulders sag. I can tell she’s barely admitted the simple fact to herself. “I don’t know when it happened and I keep beating myself up for it, but I can’t fight it. Every time I’m near you, it gets harder and harder to ignore the physical attraction between us.”
I ball my hands up into two fists at my side. “I told you at the bar that night, Bambi. I won’t kiss you again until you ask me and I’m a man of my word.”
That and a million other reasons that don’t seem important right now. Do I want to kiss her? More than anything. Do I think that getting another taste of her will ruin me for good and complicate our little deal? Fuck yeah. But I am a sucker for all things complicated. Maybe that is my kink.
Emery blinks slowly while pulling her perfectly pink bottom lip between her teeth. Anticipation flares up my spine, and suddenly, I become very aware that I’m one article of clothing away from being naked.
“What happens if I say I want you to kiss me?”
“I feel like that’s pretty self-explanatory,” I smile, feeling the tides finally turning my way.
“That’s not what I mean,” she grunts, rolling her eyes. “I don’t want this to change things between us. I’m still notinterested in anything non-physical. All of that warm and fuzzy relationship stuff needs to remainfake.”
